UK
Uniting Young And Old.
Creating Better Futures.
Discussions Across Generations (DAG) is a Thank U project that focuses on building the confidence of the young by drawing on the experiences of the old
DAG is an inter-generational project that inspires young people to learn from their elders. They record the lessons and inspiring narratives in mediums they enjoy, like music, books, videos, art, and photography and then share it with their peers, to build a better future together.
Targeting young people of African and Caribbean heritage at risk of ending up in crime, we offer capacity-building and training in a range of industry standard digital marketing and social media competences. Our specialist approach gives them the opportunity to improve their learning skills to develop their talents and market the products they create whilst on the project.
The confidence-boosting experience of the DAG programme, combined with the training and practical application of their learning skills, offers the young volunteers, valuable learning experiences that form the basis of constructive personal transformation. It increases their employability and potential for generating income productively.
Why DAG?
Many young people of African or Caribbean heritage living in the UK feel unable to move forward in life. All too often, racism has left them lacking confidence, purpose, direction, and a sense of belonging, despite having many assets and a wealth of talents.
Their lack of access, connection, and opportunity leads many to join groups on the margins of society, or drift into the criminal justice system, even become victims of gang and knife crime.
DAG seeks to break this pattern. To turn the vicious circle into a virtuous circle by giving these young people a stronger understanding of their history, and a real sense of the positive role they can play in British society.
And who better to share that history and show them that they really can and do belong, than elders from their own community.
Who Gets Involved in DAG Projects?
- Each project focuses on helping three 18 to 30-year olds of African/Caribbean heritage—a graduate, non-graduate, and someone who’s not in education, employment or training
- They are provided with advice and mentoring from a ‘legend’ aged 65 or over from their community
- They are all supported by four volunteers who run the project
To find out more about how to get involved in a DAG project, please click below.
What Happens During A DAG Project?
Teams, each of 4 young participants to one elder legend, are encouraged to take part in conversations, interactions, and even visits to places of historical relevance (COVID-permitting).
All conversations are recorded, and DAG participants are encouraged to share their learnings, experiences, and knowledge they’ve gained in a way that most inspires them. That could be through music, art, photography, writing, sculpture, whatever.
It’s vital to the success of each DAG project that participants share their learnings with their peers. They are encouraged to do so by posting content to their social media channels, creating vlogs and blogs or recording podcasts. We want them to do whatever they can to share positive, life transforming messages to a wider audience.
To see and purchase some of the creations by DAG participants, please visit the DAG Shop.
IMPACT
- The DAG project improves the Mental healt.h of both young people and the elders
BENEFITS OF THE DAG PROJECT for Young people:
- Young People are Positively Influenced by their Elders.
- Young People influence each other through positive peer pressure.
- They learn about their history, culture, and traditions in a culturally sensitive way.
- The DAG sessions held in schools, offer a culturally friendly approach to tackling race issues at School.
- They discover great role models they can access directly and are challenged to do better.
- Through the project’s capacity-building programme, the DAG-Youth develop organizational capabilities, leadership qualities and a range of other learning skills.
- It Increases their employability and potential for generating income from their talents.
BENEFITS OF THE DAG PROJECT for Elders people:
- Elders learn digital skills and new media, which empowers them to stave off loneliness and isolation through their social media connections.
- Elders also feel connected via Community and the School DAG Sessions
- The generation gap becomes narrower
- Their Young mentees maintain contact and can continue looking out for the elders, after the project.
- Elders are enriched by learning about the modern world from the young people.
- Their life experiences and enshrined in Contemporary Black History.
- The elders feel valued, acclaimed, and celebrated especially at the annual End of Project Award Ceremony where they are formally thanked by the DAG youth.
Case Study: Samsara’s Story
“What possible relevance can these rickety old people have to my life?”
19-year-old Samsara’s reaction to being asked to interview an elderly Caribbean couple as part of a DAG project is perhaps typical.
Her life situation mirrored that of many others in our target group. She had no sense of belonging, anywhere. Her parents were experiencing issues with drug addiction and mental health. She had spent all her life in care, deprived of parental guidance.
But eventually she agreed to do the interview. And what a transformation that brought about!
Afterwards, we could not get her away from the couple she’d interviewed. Samsara was amazed by how much they’d taught her that was relevant to her life and history. She wanted to go back and talk to them again, and did so!
The couple made such an impact on Samsara, they became her mentors. And empowered by what she’d learned from them in particular and the DAG project in general, she gained the confidence to go to college where she studied social work. Now Samsara is helping children like herself.
This is just one of the many success stories resulting from DAG projects.
